An opinionated idiots views on the world of film.

Marvel

With X-Men: Apocalypse due for release in 2016, some casting rumours have recently made their way online. Specifically these rumours are centering around the characters of Jean Grey and Scott Summers and which young actors could be taking up the roles previously held by Famke Janssen and James Marsden.

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With Captain America: Civil War due for release in May 2016, speculation and hype have already started gathering around the much-anticipated release. With a cast list already consisting of Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr. and Chadwick Boseman we can now add Daniel Bruhl to the list.

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After a few discussions both online and in the real world, ie the pub, it seems that Marvel Studios latest effort has split audiences somewhat. Not to the degree where people are arguing over whether the newest and shiniest superhero film is any good, but whether it is the best film Marvel have produced as a studio since the first Iron Man film came out in 2008?

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This weeks Monday Roundup brings you news of a sequel to the rebooted Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Amazon picking fights with big Hollywood studios and whether Vin Diesel may or may not star in another Marvel movie. As well as that, there is the usual dose of what’s new on DVD and the pick of the weeks films on TV.

“Are you telling me that the fate of thirty million inhabitants is in the hands of these criminals?”

There is a moment very early on in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy where you realise exactly what kind of film this is going to be. A moment that harks back to the fun adventure films of the 70’s and 80’s and sets the tone perfectly for the rest of the film. It is in that moment that you realise that Guardians of the Galaxy is quite unlike any other Marvel film to date and is more like a cross between Serenity and Star Wars, with a bit of Raiders of the Lost Ark thrown in. Now tell me that doesn’t sound like the best thing ever!

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Back in February I wrote a list of my top ten favourite comic book movies. It was a fun piece to do and I like to think that you all enjoyed reading it. During the months since then I have wanted to do a follow-up piece regarding the worst comic book movies. Everyone has an opinion on this, and it will be fun to see what you think of my list and whether you agree with my selections and omissions.

Most of the movies on this list I have seen once, some on the other hand I have had the misfortune of seeing two or three times, so I have a pretty good idea of how bad they are. One rule I have put in place here is that no franchise can be represented twice, so if I pick an X-Men movie, that will be the only X-Men movie to feature on this list. Sure, there may be some franchises that have more than one bad entry but I wanted to keep things streamlined and pick just one.

As with my top ten best comic book movies I will open this list up for debate. So, if you feel inclined to do so then please use the comments section below to tell me what I have missed and got wrong, or you can use Twitter & Facebook to do the same. I have also included a poll at the bottom of the list so you can even vote on which movie you feel is the worst of the bunch.

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Now that Captain America: The Winter Soldier has finally been released to our American cousins, I feel it is a good time to talk about what happened in the film and how it affects the Marvel cinematic universe going forward.

The film has been described by many as a “game changer” both in the films shift from a general superhero film to a full on political thriller, and in the way the events of the film seem to have a greater effect on where Marvel will go now, and how films like Avengers: Age Of Ultron seemingly take on a new light.

Now, while I would never encourage anyone to avoid one of my articles, I will warn anyone who hasn’t yet seen Marvel’s latest outing that spoilers lie within. So if you have yet to see the film and don’t want anything ruined, then you should go no further.

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Directors: Anthony Russo & Joe Russo Starring: Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson & Scarlett Johansson Synopsis: “Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world and battles a new threat from old history: the Soviet agent known as the Winter Soldier.” Runtime: 136 minutes Rating: 12A

“Are you ready for the world to see you as you really are? Look out the window, you know how the game works: disorder, war, all it takes is one step.”

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is unlike any other movie Marvel have made so far. Of course, it’s a comic book movie full of pulpy moments, great action & features a heroic lead, but it’s also a hugely political thriller and one that could end up being seen as a turning point for the Marvel cinematic universe. Gone are the days when superheroes saved children from burning buildings or stopped them from falling into the Niagara Falls, no, now they take on international terrorism, combat arms dealers and try to stop aliens from taking over the world. Are we better off as an audience for this? Time will tell, but at the moment the current crop of superhero films, especially those Marvel based, are letting us enjoy a golden age of comic book cinema, where seemingly anything can happen and where things can change in an instant. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a part of that movement, and has proved once again that Marvel know exactly what they are doing.

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My apologies for the slightly long-winded title, but I wasn’t really sure how to make my point and condense the title. Anyway, as I’m sure you have all seen, Empire magazine is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and as such has tied down some exclusive content to help celebrate that fact. The first of those exclusives being 25 different covers for this months edition of the magazine, featuring all the different cast members of this years mutant mashup X-Men: Days Of Future Past.

Taking a look at the different covers, it is clear that Empire and Fox have cleverly let loose a few tidbits of information regarding their summer tent pole release. Read on as I take a look at several of the covers and dig deep to see what hidden bits of info they contain.

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With the news that director James Mangold and star Hugh Jackman are set to return for a sequel to this years The Wolverine, there has been much talk on the internet about where they could go next with the story, and which, if any, of the many comic book storylines the film will be based upon.

Mangold has indeed confirmed he will be looking to the comic books for inspiration on the sequel, but has obviously not confirmed which of those he has in mind. Hugh Jackman has also commented, and while also giving nothing away he has hinted at one possible story, while maintaining that he and Mangold already have some very cool ideas in place.

With that in mind, here are 3 comic book storylines that could be adapted for the big screen.

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Director: James Mangold Starring: Hugh Jackman, Tao Okamoto & Rila Fukushima Synopsis: “Summoned to Japan by an old acquaintance, Wolverine becomes embroiled in a conflict that forces him to confront his own demons.” Runtime: 126 minutes.

“Eternity can be a curse. The losses you have had to suffer… a man can run out of things to care for, lose his purpose.”

Director James Mangold and star Hugh Jackman have teamed together to wipe away any memories you had remaining of the woeful X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and have provided us with a tale of a lone wolf, struggling to get by and one who’s not entirely at peace with himself or the world around him. In a summer full of superheroes and action spectacular’s, does The Wolverine stand up to the challenge laid down before him or crumble under the pressure?

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The Monday roundup is your handy little guide to everything movie related. Including the best of the weekends news, what’s new on DVD & Blu-Ray & what you can look forward to at the cinema this week.

News bites

Russell Crowe has recently received a lot of questions on twitter about his thoughts on a prequel to Man Of Steel. He eventually tweeted back with the following: “A lot of you are asking about a KRYPTON prequel, if that’s something you feel strongly about let @Legendary pictures know your thoughts. Just getting sick of reading the same question mate, however, if it came up, I’d give the tights another go.”I would like to see Jor-El return in any Man Of Steel sequel, perhaps in a flashback sequence of some sort, but the idea of a prequel set on Krypton doesn’t fly with me and I think DC & Warner Bros. should focus their efforts on creating more movies about characters from the larger DC universe like The Flash, Wonder Woman or Aquaman.

One of my favourite comic book heroes, or anti-hero, is Deadpool, and while I didn’t at all mind Ryan Reynolds brief portrayal of the character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, I feel the character has so far been mishandled on the big screen. Reynolds recently gave an interview to Total Film, telling us where the Merc with a Mouth stands. ” That movie is alive and kicking, and then it’s dead as a doornail. Then it’s alive and kicking and then it’s dead … it’s like the worst relationship I’ve ever had! The character knows he’s a comic-book character, he knows he’s in a film, he knows who the executives are at the studio making the movie. In the current iteration of the script, Deadpool is aware of the Wolverine movie. He doesn’t say anything disparaging about it but he does at one point play with the Deadpool action figure with some curiosity.”

The US box office battle between Despicable Me 2 and The Lone Ranger quickly turned into a one horse race, with Despicable Me 2 taking in $82.5 million, while The Lone Ranger completely tanked and took a miserable $29 million. When you consider that Disney spent roughly $250 million on making The Lone Ranger, they have a long way to go before breaking even.

DVD/Blu-Ray pick of the week

“A thief with a unique code of professional ethics is double-crossed by his crew and left for dead. Assuming a new disguise and forming an unlikely alliance with a woman on the inside, he looks to hijack the score of the crew’s latest heist.”

The Stath is the best at what he does, and what he does is make entertaining action movies for the masses. Having said that, while I’m sure Parker is entertaining, I would put this down as a rental only.

TV pick of the week

Shaun Of The Dead, ITV2, 9PM, Friday July 12th.

Anyone who lives in the UK knows that ITV have about 6 films in their catalogue and tend to show them about 17 times a week. This week is the turn of horror/comedy classic Shaun Of The Dead. Surely being broadcast to capitalise on the hype for The World’s End, Shaun is still highly watchable and endlessly quotable.

Cinema pick of the week

Well this a tough one isn’t it? Monsters vs robots in every sense of it. Monsters University vs Pacific Rim. I am going to see Monsters U on Saturday evening, but I will hopefully be going to see Pacific Rim the following Tuesday. Both look really good and I hope neither disappoint.

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The Monday roundup is your handy little guide to everything movie related. Including the best of the weekends news, what’s new on DVD & Blu-Ray & what you can look forward to at the cinema this week.

News bites

Man Of Steel was released on Friday ( I finally get to see it tomorrow), and its box office figures put it as the second largest opening this year, behind Iron Man 3, taking in $113 million. Which puts it as the largest June opening ever, breaking Toy Story 3’s previous record of earning $110 million.

Sticking with the Man Of Steel’s weekend success, rumour has it that a sequel is going to be fast tracked into production ready for release next year. Not only that, but it is also believed that the Justice League movie will be hitting the big screen the following year. I happen to take this with a large pinch of salt and hope Warner Bros. don’t rush things just to capitalise on the recent success Marvel has had with the Avengers.

The successful comic book series, Y: The Last Man could finally be in production by next year. The story follows amateur escape artist Yorick Brown and his pet monkey Ampersand, the last two men on Earth. After something simultaneously kills every mammal on Earth possessing a Y chromosome – including embryos, fertilized eggs, and even sperm. Writer David S. Goyer had the following to say: “We’ve got a script that’s as close as it’s ever been, so knock on wood. That could go into production next year… The first movie is meant to function as a standalone, but hopefully continue. Hopefully there will be others.”

DVD/Blu-Ray pick of the week

I thoroughly enjoyed Mama when I saw it at the cinema. It has a strong cast and some great scares. However, I’m not too sure it would stand up to multiple viewing and should perhaps be considered as a rental only.

Most fans of the book have already made their mind up about World War Z, and probably won’t be going to see it. Despite coming out to mostly favourable reviews, it has, apparently, left many of the themes of the book behind and crucially (judging from the trailers at least) left out any references to anything resembling a Zombie. I still think this will be a fun ride though, and might just surprise a few people.

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The Monday roundup is your handy little guide to everything movie related. Including the best of the weekends news, what’s new on DVD & Blu-Ray & what you can look forward to at the cinema this week.

News bites

Some casting news arrived over the last few days. It is being reported that Kick-Ass himself, Aaron Taylor-Johnson is be lined up for a role in Marvel’s upcoming Avengers sequel. The role would be that of Quicksilver, a character Marvel share the rights to along with Fox and who will also be appearing in their X-Men sequel, Days Of Future Past.

At the US box office, The Purge rules the weekend by taking in an estimated $36 million. That may not seem like huge numbers, but keeping in mind it only cost, roughly, $3 million to make, then that is a pretty big return so far.

This is not movie news at all, but yesterday author Iain Banks passed away after losing his battle with cancer. He was 59. RIP Sir.

DVD/Blu-Ray pick of the week

The multi award-winning, Steven Spielberg directed and Daniel Day-Lewis starring Lincoln arrives on DVD and Blu-Ray this week. Out of the 140 awards it was nominated for, it won a total of 52. Not bad huh?

Cinema pick of the week

There really is only one film worth your time and money this week. Released on Friday, Man Of Steel is Warner Bros. new tent pole blockbuster franchise. I’m massively excited about this, but won’t get to see it until the following Tuesday.

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Superhero movies are big business these days. There are currently three movies in the top ten for all time worldwide box offices takings, those being Avengers Assemble, Iron Man 3 & The Dark Knight Rises.

So it’s no surprise that most major studios have at least one superhero franchise to their name, and most fanboys have seen at least one of their favourite superheroes take to the big screen. There are, however, some superhero movies that have either been stuck in development hell or for one reason or another not made it past the initial development stage.

So today, I am going to present to you the 3 superhero movies I would like to see on the big screen. Two of these, potential, movies have been mentioned in Hollywood circles in the past and one is pure fanboy daydreaming.

Superman/Batman

Henry Cavill, aka the new Man Of Steel, recently spoke about the possibility of a Superman/Batman crossover movie. When asked about the possibility of the two DC heavyweights coming together on the big screen, he had this to say “Who knows. I’m sure there’s all sorts of ideas being thrown around at Warner Bros. right now”

The idea of seeing The World’s Finest on the big screen is something that excites me more than seeing a Justice League movie. Superman & Batman have been mainstays of both my youth and adult life and any coming together of these two characters would be something very special indeed.

Back in 2003 when Warner Bros. were going over various plans on how to bring Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent back to the big screen, one idea that was banded around was that of a Superman vs Batman movie. The plot would essentially consist of a retired from the cape Bruce Wayne blaming Superman for the death of his wife. Superman would go into hiding in Smallville, only to be tracked down by a vengeance seeking Batman. They would both learn later in the movie that events had been entirely manipulated by Lex Luthor, and it was up to The World’s Finest to stop him.

There was also an excellent comic book series that started in 2003 and ran for 87 issues until 2011. Granted not all the issues were brilliant, but overall the quality was very good.

A Superman/Batman movie could work on so many levels. It would obviously be box office gold for the studio, but more importantly, if done well it could be the best superhero movie ever. Batman and Superman are different sides of the same coin, they both want the same thing but have completely different methods to achieving their goals. They also inhabit the same universe, and having these two together could be a stepping stone to something bigger, say something like the forever in limbo Justice League movie.

Green Arrow: Escape From Super Max

Green Arrow is another DC character who has received short shrift when compared to some of the bigger names on the DC roster. Green Arrow has however been a mainstay in the comic books and featured in several team ups with Batman and Green Lantern.

That changed recently when Green Arrow featured heavily in several seasons of Smallville. He then received his own show, smartly titled Arrow. This has proved a popular hit among both fans and critics, and is arguably the most famous the character has been since, well ever.

Back in 2008 however, a script was penned for a Green Arrow movie, entitled Green Arrow: Escape From Super Max. David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight Trilogy) & Justin Marks were the two men behind the script, which involved Arrow being framed for a crime he didn’t commit (very A-Team alike) and his plan to escape prison.

The only problem was, this was no ordinary prison. This prison was home to rogue superheroes and villains, some of whom Green Arrow had helped to put behind bars. At one point it was even mentioned that the prison itself had superpowers of its own, in order to keep the criminals within its walls.

This idea fascinates me. How would a man cope going with being framed for a crime he didn’t commit and being sent to a prison packed full of people he had put there. Coming across the likes of the Joker, Lex Luthor and the Riddler as well as other B & C list villains and having to entrust these people to help aid his escape.

Unfortunately there has been no movement on this project for sometime now, but with the recent success of the Arrow TV show and Warner Bros. desire to make a Justice League movie, this would be a great opportunity to make a captivating story about one of DC’s main characters and also introduce some more of the lesser known villains.

Civil War

Civil War takes place in the Marvel comic book universe, and presents a very real story for an otherwise fantastical landscape.

In Civil War the US Government implements the Superhero Registration Act after a series of events in the Marvel universe caused severe damage across the country and many human casualties. The act proposed that anyone in the United States who had superpowers had to register and make themselves known to Government.

The Act split the superhero community and two sides formed. One side led by Tony Stark (pro-registration) and the other led by Captain America (anti-registration). Tony Stark took to the Presidents side and assumed that any resistance was futile, while Captain America was forced underground with others who wanted to keep their identities a secret.

We’ve already seen in last years Avengers Assemble how delicate their relationship is with one another. Yes, they become a team by the end of the movie, but they all have fragile egos finely balanced. This reason alone is why Civil War would make a great movie. Given the time to establish more heroes across their cinematic universe and those characters individual personalities, what bigger threat could they face than themselves?

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The Monday roundup is your handy little guide to everything movie related. Including the best of the weekends news, what’s new on DVD & blu ray & what you can look forward to at the cinema this week.

News bites

There are roughly 3 people who have yet to see Iron Man 3 at the cinema, and I know two of those people, as Walt Disney Pictures have announced current worldwide takings to be at $1.142 billion for Marvel’s latest blockbuster. This is a huge taking make no mistake, and proves there is more than enough interest in Marvels playboy, billionaire, philanthropist despite rumblings over whether Robert Downey Jr would continue in the role.

After previously being aligned to star in the big screen adaptation of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Tom Cruise has now dropped out, due to his commitment to star in a fifth Mission: Impossible movie. Guy Ritchie & Armie Hammer, however, still remain attached to the project.

In a strange turnout for the books, Marvel character of both the X-Men & The Avengers is due to appear in upcoming sequels for for both movies, but played by a different actor. Bryan Singer recently tweeted that Evan Peters will play the role in X-Men: Days Of Future Past. Joss Whedon, however, has not yet cast his version of the character. Apparently there is an agreement between both studios, Fox & Marvel, over the use of some characters and how they can be portrayed in their respective franchises. I have a feeling though, that Fox surprised Marvel with this recent announcement.

Video of the day

I’ve always liked the DC animated movies and TV shows. They’ve generally maintained a high quality output with these titles, unlike some of their silver screen versions and this trailer for Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox looks to be maintaining that high quality.

Blu-ray/DVD pick of the week

A rental pick for sure. The Last Stand is a return to the big screen for action icon Arnold Schwarzenegger, where he plays a Sheriff standing between a drugs cartel and their escape through the Mexican border. It also stars Johnny Knoxville, so you can see why I’ve put it on the rental list.

TV pick of the week

Hard Eight

Film4, 1:25AM on Thursday 30 May

Hard Eight stars Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow and a young(ish) Samuel L. Jackson. A wonderful movie with a great cast telling a smart story with multiple layers to it. Set your set top box to record, unless you fancy staying up past the witching hour.

Cinema pick of the week

Starring Ethan Hawke & Lena Headey, The Purge has a very high concept story regarding a 12 hour period one night of the year where anything goes. All crimes are legalised and the emergency services basically get the night off. It looks slightly silly but could also be lots of fun.

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Synopsis: When Tony Stark’s world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.

“Now what am I supposed to do now? What am I going to do in Avengers 2?” – Joss Whedon (Avengers Assemble) after seeing an advanced screening of Iron Man 3.

The above quote is high praise indeed. When I first read that a few months ago I thought it was merely spin, an effort to further hype the release of Iron Man 3. After all an endorsement like that simply won’t be ignored. And yet, after seeing the latest installment for the man in the tin suit, I have to tell you Whedon wasn’t lying, not one bit. Iron Man 3 really is quite brilliant.

My main worry before watching Iron Man 3 with all the trailers, TV spots, set photos, press releases and so on and so forth being released, was that Marvel has let too much slip and that nothing would be a surprise once sitting in the cinema. Thankfully, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Starting with a voiceover and a flashback to 1999, the story for Iron Man 3 is set up almost instantly.We are introduced to two, three if you can spot the cameo, important characters who will have a very big impact on Tony Starks future.

With director Shane Black taking over from Jon Favreau (director of the previous two Iron Man films) there seems to be a freshness to this new adventure in Tony Starks life. Black and Downey Jr. previously worked together on Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (worth checking out btw). Black has brought with him his trademark one liners and quick dialogue, but has also upped his game considerably adding some superb action sequences and a finale that will truly have you on the edge of your seat.

Among the returning faces are, of course, some new ones. Guy Pearce as Aldrich Killian, Rebecca Hall as Maya Hansen and Ben Kingsley as The Mandarin all play their roles extremely well. Pearce and Kingsley being particularly menacing. James Badge Dale as Eric Savin has a very Terminator-esque vibe going, proving himself early on to be the muscle behind his bosses master plan.

There are a few problems with the story, not many, but a few. One gag nearly plays itself out too many times, and during the, albeit, incredible finale there is a sense that calling for backup could have been used at another point when it was also needed. These problems are easily forgiven though and as the pace rarely lets up during the movie you will perhaps only notice them after leaving the cinema or on a second viewing.

On our way home from the cinema last night, I said to my girlfriend that it seemed like a while since we had seen a Marvel movie at the pictures. Of course this wasn’t the case at all, it had only been one year since we watched Avengers Assemble (3 times btw) at the cinema. But it still felt like we had been away from the Marvel universe for some time, I’m not sure why this was the case but it’s a feeling I still have now for some reason.

Or maybe it was more a case of not seeing an individual Stark adventure for some time, and now I was just happy to see the tin man back to his best. After all the first Iron Man was the launchpad for everything Marvel wanted to do, the second Iron Man film was enjoyable but felt more like one long set up for what else was to come and had too much going on to be coherent.

With Marvel now having started their plans for Phase 2, which will culminate in The Avengers 2 in 2015, Iron Man 3 really was the best place to start. It’s where the journey began five years ago and it’s quite rightly the place where it should all begin again.

“Now what am I supposed to do now? What am I going to do in Avengers 2?” – Joss Whedon (Avengers Assemble)

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As the new poster for this summers The Wolverine shows, our favourite grumpy mutant now needs a sword as well.

I guess that just makes him a little more badass.

The Wolverine will be released on July 26th in the UK. The IMDb has this to say: “Wolverine faces his ultimate nemesis and tests of his physical, emotional, and mortal limits, in a life-changing voyage to modern-day Japan.”

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Captain America: The Winter Soldier began filming recently and the first image from the set has appeared online. A new synopsis has also gone up, giving us a few more details of what to expect next April. Source.

More Marvel related news has also hit the web, with actor Morris Chestnut hinting big time at his role in The Avengers 2. Chestnut tweeted that character The Black Panther may well be showing up in the 2015 blockbuster. Source.

Ron Howard’s next movie Rush, starring Chris Hemsworth and Olivia Wilde, debuted a new trailer online the other day. Centering around the 1976 Formula 1 championship battle between James Hunt and Niki Lauda, and I have to admit it looks damn good too. Source.

Finally, Neill Blomkamp’s new flick Elysium has shown off a poster for the Matt Damon starrer. Apparently the trailer will be online soon too. My hopes are high for this film, especially after Blomkamp’s superb District 9. Source.

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Some varied news for today’s round up, some interesting tidbits and some very unfortunate news too.

Lets begin.

A new posterhas emerged for World War Z, it’s nowhere near as cool as the last one we saw but does manage to show off some of the mass destruction we are in for.

Marvel has finally released their 10 disc set for Phase One of their cinematic universe and with it is a ton of different outtakes and even an alternate ending to Iron Man 2, some of which you can see here.

The new Ninja Turtles movie, to be directed by Jonathan Liebesman, has finally started shootingahead of it’s 2014 summer release.

Finally, and by far the saddest news of the day is that Roger Ebert has passed away. Ebert has been the top critic for the Chicago Sun-Times since 1967. A true legend who will be sadly missed. R.I.P Sir.

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With the recent release of Marvel’s complete Phase One blu ray box set now available, fans who bought the epic 10 disc set have been treated to a brief glimpse of what we can expect from their upcoming Phase 2 films and even a brief look at Phase 3’s Ant-Man.

In other Marvel related news, Robert Redford has confirmed his role In Captain America: The Winter Soldier. After all sorts of rumors flew around the net regarding his character being the original Nick Fury, one of Captain America’s war buddies or even a replacement for the super soldier himself while he was busy being a Capsicle. Redford has now revealed he will indeed be playing the head of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Redford’s quote in full: “Well, the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. The head of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Redford also said,” The Captain America thing is just a very simple thing, I wanted to do something different. I wanted to do something just to be different. Something bold, different. And that felt like a good thing to do. That was it, nothing more to it than that. Well, it’s bold in terms of expectations, I guess. ”

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After a 6 second trailer, then a 20 second trailer we finally get the full trailer for this years The Wolverine.

I’m quite impressed by the trailer, especially after the lackluster posterswe were offered earlier in the week. I mean, it’s got to be better than the previous stand alone Wolverine movie, right?

The Wolverine will be released on July 26th in the UK. The IMDb has this to say: “Wolverine faces his ultimate nemesis – and tests of his physical, emotional, and mortal limits – in a life-changing voyage to modern-day Japan.”

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Superheroes, copycats and UFC champions are all covered in today’s roundup. Sounds odd? Well it is a bit.

Lets begin.

In preparation for the release of Iron Man 3, the Marvel marketing machine has certainly started to gain pace. Along with a TV spot, which is spoiler filled apparently, we can now take a look at two of the new suits that will be featured in the movie. Those can be seen here.

After Sam Mendes said no, then Danny Boyle said no to Bond, well now the producers are sayingthat they want Mendes back at some point. Of course they do, he directed the most successful entry in the series yet.

White House Down, a movie very, very similar to Olympus Has Fallen has started its teaser campaign by releasing three new postersto hype the movie which will be out later this year.

Finally, after the news that Robert Redford will be joining the cast of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, news has it that UFC Champion Georges St-Pierre has also signed on. St-Pierre will play villain Batroc the Leaper, sounds menacing right?

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The second addition to Marvels Guardians Of The Galaxy has finally been settled. A few months ago, internet speculation suggested that Jason Momoa would be getting the role. Any speculation can now be put to bed though, with the news coming through that former WWE wrestler Dave Bautista will now play Drax The Destroyer.

Drax The Destroyer is a human resurrected in a new, powerful body ready to combat Thanos (the purple dude at the end of The Avengers).

Due for release in 2014, Guardians Of The Galaxy will be the final film of Marvels Phase 2, before The Avengers 2 hits our screens in 2015. The movie will centre around “A futuristic team of superheroes who protect the galaxy from danger.”

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There have been many, many posters released for the upcoming Iron Man 3, some good and some not so good. Now, Marvel have released yet another poster for the superhero flick, featuring Tony Stark and Pepper Potts sharing an embrace whilst behind them is just a little collateral damage, a few heavily armed helicopters and Stark’s Iron Legion. Tony Stark must be aggrieved at Loki’s comments toward the end of The Avengers about having an army.

Iron Man 3 will be released in the UK on April 26, a whole two weeks before it’s released in American cinemas.

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For a man of such wealth and power, Tony Stark doesn’t have it particularly easy does he? Fresh after saving the world in The Avengers, and someone is already trying to kill him. Poor guy.

Anyway, as you may have guessed, there is a new trailer for Iron Man 3. Featuring more shots of The Mandarin, played by Ben Kingsley, the new Extremis armor and an army of Iron Men including the Hulkbuster armor.

This is an exciting trailer, giving us a few nice teasers as to what to expect and a nice money shot at the end.

Enjoy.

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Ah, rumors and gossip, where would the internet be without you? A while back Latino Review posted a story regarding the fate of the Hulk after the The Avengers 2 and leading into The Avengers 3. You can read my thoughts on that here.

Now though, a report has come through completely debunking the rumor for now. Apparently the main reason for not wanting to do a Planet Hulk movie is this: ” After two false starts with Banner, Marvel is thrilled with Ruffalo. The last thing they want to do is reduce his role. Sure, they could have Ruffalo play Hulk in mocap, but the Banner element would be gone – and this evidently is important to Marvel.”

If this is true I can see their point, the reason the Hulk worked so well in The Avengers was because of how Mark Ruffalo managed to humanize the character. That, along with the fact that Marvel and the fans have already been burned twice by two underwhelming stand alone movies for the character, means we will probably not be seeing the Hulk in his own movie for a while and definitely won’t be seeing A Planet Hulk movie at all now.

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Yes, apparently not enough Iron Man 3 posters have been released so far.

In all fairness though this does look pretty bad ass, with Tony Stark looking particularly pissed that his home is sinking into the ocean in the background. Also, what’s the deal with all the other suits behind him?

Along with the new poster, word has is that we will be getting a new trailer on Tuesday March 5th.

Killian, according to Wikipedia, is a “brilliant scientist” involved in the development of nano technology. He will also, according to reports, play the main villain in Iron Man 3 whilst Ben Kingsley’s The Mandarin pulls the strings behind the scenes.

So take this with a huge grain of salt as the following little tidbit is considered to be a massive SPOILER. A spoiler for a film which hasn’t even gone into development yet.

Apparently at the end of The Avengers 2, due to hit in 2015, in the aftermath of whatever destruction Thanos has brought upon The Avengers, The Hulk will be banished into space by a group called The Illuminati. This will then set up a solo Hulk film based upon the Planet Hulk story line, whereby he is banished into space and forced into combat as a Gladiator.

More importantly this could then set up Marvel’s Phase 3 and culminate in The Avengers 3, in which The Hulk returns to seek vengeance upon those who cast him out. In the comic books this story was known as World War Hulk.

Of course, The Hulk had been mentioned as being the villain of the first Avengers film. Taking its cue from The Ultimates story line and featuring The Hulk going on a berserker rampage across New York City with only The Avengers able to finally stop him.

If this is true and we do get to see a Planet Hulk/World War Hulk combo then there is the possibility of nerdgasms being felt the world over. Honestly this could be truly epic.

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I love this poster in so many ways. The suit coming apart, Tony Stark in danger (again), the New York skyline beneath him. My guess is Marvel have released this to build anticipation for the Iron Man 3 Superbowl trailer which we will all get to see this Sunday. Simply cannot wait.

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Once upon a time, in a TV show far, far away, there was a show called Nick Fury: Agent of Shield.

His aim, according to the IMDB: Marvel’s hard-boiled hero is brought to TV. He is brought back to fight the menace of Hydra after exiling himself in the Yukon since the end of the Cold War. The children of the former Hydra head, Baron Von Stucker, have taken charge of the terrorist organization. Under the lead of his vicious daughter, Viper, Hydra has seized a deadly virus and threatens the destruction of America. The covert agency SHIELD brings Fury out of retirement to fight the terrorists.

Directed by Rod Hardy, who has done sterling work for television, but who is not a household name by any stretch of the imagination. Hardy has directed episodes of The X-Files, JAG, Battlestar Galactica , Burn Notice, Dollhouse and Supernatural to name but a few. All are popular shows with some still on air today.

Nick Fury: Agent of Shield was written by David S. Goyer who has had a hand in many of cinemas recent blockbusters including, The Dark Knight trilogy, Blade, Blade 2, Jumper. Along with the upcoming re-imaginings of Superman: Man of Steel and & Godzilla. Goyer also directed Blade: Trinity, a film many people would like to forget, if you haven’t seen it you should hold onto that precious bit of innocence you have left.

So with a talented director and a talented & self-confessed superhero geek on writing duties, where did the show go wrong? Oh wait, yeah here it is……

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Word has it that the Walt Disney company has purchased the rights to a small franchise by the name of Star Wars. Along with Star Wars, Walt Disney also has the rights to Pixar and Marvel as well as being the majority shareholder behind ESPN. Surely total world domination can’t be far off?

Disney have set themselves the task of filming a new trilogy, with the first of those films targeted for release in 2015. Personally I’ve always admired the Star Wars films for what they did for cinema and special effects but I’ve never had the same kind of affection for them that other people, maybe of a slightly younger generation than me, have done.

However I do believe this purchase is good news for Star Wars and its many fans. Disney has always treated its properties with love and respect and ensured the best people available are put in place to make a quality product.

Maybe they can persuade Harrison Ford to make a cameo and shoot Jar Jar fucking Binks right between the eyes, that personally would make up for the entire second trilogy to me!

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Some stunning unofficial art work appeared on the web a few days ago from an artist by the name of Matt Ferguson. It’s unlikely to make its way into the marketing campaign so this may be our only chance to see it.